Yes, a good day, and real nice bunch of people (just like always!). Nobody has mentioned the "call that tar?" stickybeak to check out the bush skyscraper on the way. Interesting, but pointless!!!

I have a postscript on my "arrival story" I rang the cops and the car was stolen, they got the car but not the occupants!

What this is about is that, but for a split second of indecision that went the lucky way, today was my day to die! Not dramatising, that is how it was. The tale is worth telling as it just reinforces how good every day is and how sometimes you just don't know what's round the corner.

This incident started off innocently enough. I was heading west just past Edgeworth McDonalds and the boys in blue were cheerfully doing their RBT thing and picked me so it was talk in the gizmo plus a licence and rego check, see ya later. I was on the Monster and had felt it surge when taking off from the Lake Rd lights so was thinking maybe I should put $5 in to make sure it got to the Bero BP? I had this thought just after the servo on the left before the Edgie pub and was going to go to the servo just past the lights but figured "stuff it, Frances has just come back from Walcha on this bike and she is not an "arrive home dead empty" kinda girl". The lights had gone red and there were three cars stopping in the left lane with the middle lane clear and of course a few waiting to turn right to Minmi road which I also intended to go up for the more "country" ride to Bero than joining the freeway at Wallsend.

So with one blink of the blinkers I eased in behind the queuing to turn right cars. Then KAPOW, the nearly stationary bike has a big wobble sideways as this hotted up black turbo sedan shot past me straight through the cherry red light travelling in the 160-180km/hr bracket. The car gets mildly airbourne and turns a bit sideways but manages to keep it all together with just a bit of a screech from the semi-sideways tyres and blasts off down the road. I realised then that this guy had decided I was expendable in his need to escape the police and I was going to get splatted had I not moved out the way. In fact it is impossible to see round the slight bend at the Edgie pub so the car doing a runner was running blind and didn't care what happened. Despite the speed I also thought that I have seen and admired this car in traffic recently, in the last couple of weeks. Black, heavy tint, some chrome and no badgework, so it is an "owner special".

The police came along of course, after about 15 secs the first car was an unmarked (which I didn't notice at the RBT!) light green commodore / ford thing at about 100-120km/hr, fairly hesitant about the intersection (and rightly so!) and of course the runner was carrying a lot more speed so getting away. I just stood tall and pointed and, since we had a bit of a banter back at the RBT, the boys would've known I was giving them good info! Then about 5 secs later the fully marked red HP vvehicle came through, bit faster as he knew the way had been cleared and he seemed to hit the noise pedal fairly hard after clearing the intersection around 120km/hr. The RBT guys struck me as good seasoned fit operators in their mid 30's so I figured they were a good chance to do the deed, but the pace of the runner meant it would need to stuff up to be caught I figured.

So to arrive home and ring the HP area command to find out the car was stolen and the occupants still at large only added substance to what I already knew. ie. that the people driving that car didn't give a rats r's about anything and certainly pushing me into next week was not a problem for them if they were picking between doing me in and them getting done in it was going to be me that lucked out every time! Had I been stopped at the lights there was no chance for me. As it was they had clearly already decided to side swipe me out of their way, except that I jagged it and did the job for them. Lucky eh - how was your day?

did my eyes deceave me or did i see that paula went on this ride did she forget that her bikes now a suzuki, but boy what a great race nearly two ducati's on the podium im sorry i could'nt join you all today now ive been made broke all the time from the people who now control how much money im allowed per week :'(

Logged

Ducati is number 1, all others are number 2 or lower

Paul Whittaker

Top day, Top ride, Top group, Top pub and a Top bike, Ducati #27 first, sweet....Thanks CRAZY Dave i can see why your called crazy Dave, yes not because you ride a GSX Zook, but that leather jacket now that's CRAZY LOL... nice to meet and ride with you all, Mark, Ted, Paula, Carl and all the regulars plus Dave, sorry didn't get many pic's just one or two, hope that speed check vehicle didn't get me or anyone else on the way home near the big red rock on the north travelling side a black ford territory was only just over, mmmmm catch you all again, love that red bike, Ducati #1

Beresfield, I knew that! Which means the error has been carried for some time in the calendar entries where I copied it from without me ever noticing, won't be the first time I have put that out! (but I will have stuffed it up in the first place, sometimes these things are cobbled together too late - but they are better off done a bit wrong and a bit late than not at all, what we want is it to be OK on the day). But be fussy, that's good as things tend to stay fixed that way and the rest of you (and now me) don't have to cringe every time you look at it. But give me a chance and I'll find something else - at least until someone kindly points it out!

The "right" thing was sloppy grammar by me, I was trying to avoid people going to the other servo which has sprung up on the left if you don't turn at the roundabout. I have changed it in the below post (and the calendar) to try and clear that up.

The anti-spam rules have changed again! A small qty of people will have seen this announced topic come out as a newsletter, everyone else was unlucky, sorry if this is a duplicate.

Let me add a reminder to the below that we have concluded by popular choice that next month's weekend away should be to Pt Macquarie, as Frances has mentioned. So, for details about accommodation for Saturday night, plus a bit about the fun things we will do on the Hunter Dogs Oxley Wag-It Weekend Away check http://hunterdog.org.au/DiscussionBoard/index.php?topic=675.msg1865;topicseen#msg1865. Please also note that another problem of beating the spam rules via topic announce is that the link this email has to the topic won't work when the topic is combined with the original discussion to keep it all together. Same deal for previous "New Announcements". But you can always check on the discussion board http://hunterdog.org.au/DiscussionBoard/

So we'll leave BP Beresfield (at the end of the F3 freeway coming from Sydney direction, turn right at roundabout, BP is 100m up on left). Basic route will be the back way through Clarence Town to Booral then Bulahdelah, Forster, Nabiac, Plough Inn Bulahdelah. It is less than 100km back to Newcastle via the highway, after Casey has given his victory speech!

This ride and special treatment comes courtesy of "crazy Dave", town ambassador to Bulahdelah. Along the way we have added a bit of a touristy distraction for a sticky beak at the bush skyscraper. We are promised good weather so make sure you get the lawn mowed on Sat so you are ready for a pleasant day out mowing the tarmac with the Ducati on Sunday. PLUS, you get to bask in the glory of another spectacular Ducati win on the way home, how good is that???

Sure thing Ted, that would be good. But guessing times is always as problem as whatever the guess is will be wrong as soon as its said! From a few posts down, including a map for you to check out:

In practice we will stop at Booral for a quick stretch of the legs after 90km. I have recently discovered the "bush skyscraper" on Google Earth after many years of tootling past it wondering what it is, and would like to do a 3km detour up a tar road to have an up close sticky beak at it for a bit of variety! This is the seven story place you see perched on the hill on the left about 5km out of Booral. Then I would think Forster in 80km from Booral will be a stopping point before the final 70km to the Plough Inn at Bulahdelah. So just join in along the way or pick one of the stops as you wish.

Typically we leave at about 10 past 9, sometimes quarter past. Not the plan, but what happens! My guess would be leaving Booral by 10:30am, Forster 11:45am and arriving at Bulahdelah around 12:30pm for lunch and a lazy afternoon. If anyone wants to write this down for a laugh go right ahead. I have been wrong before, must be time to get the last laugh!

We have been promised rain for the rest of the week to clear on Saturday arvo in time for a sunny Sunday. So that was good work by the Town Ambassador, thanks for arranging that Dave!

Hey guys, we woulld love to catch up with you this Sunday, could you give us what towns you are going through and approximately what times as we live in Forster and have a big night planned Saturday night so we won't be up to getting down to Beresfield by 9am Sunday. We are booked in to come on the Port Macquarie weekend in November.

Say Dave, Don't worry about being guilted into anything as this is our down time to enjoy, anyway you have lined up the venue and a ride!

Re the skyscraper obviously an eccentric built it - where people can see it, and he must have got used to people chucking a lap of the public road out the front for a sticky beak? I doubt we would even stop, just quietly do the loop and head off. It doesn't look hard per below, if it is we won't go! We have been down this road often enough and there's nothing like a bit of variety, however minor!

I understood the Booral servo was good to midday these days, but it isn't a drama as picking up fuel in Bulahdelah is what would happen next (and the town ambassodor would expect eh?). The smallest range on a Duke is around the 170km mark and we will pass lots of fuel before that distance. The same deal happens at Gresford except it is 11am and that one can be a trap if you miss it and you went the long way there!

BTW - You won't get a very warm reception if you go for a look at the 'bush skyscraper'. The owner is one of the richest men on the Mid Nth Coast. He's a bit of a recluse these days.

He's a nutty eccentric property developer that used to have a penchant for the unusual. He bought 'The Rock' at Karuah off the Leyland Brothers when it went broke back in the early 90's and owned it until just recently when he sold it.

Say Dave, you really are crazy huh, Karuah then Bulahdelah, what happened to "I'd happily meet up with you at Raymond Terrace for such a ride. That is, provided you guys are happy to have a GSX/R 750 'slabby' tag along. "? Bring on the slabby! I half expected you to turn up at the Bero BP given the proximity to Raymond Terrace, but it is Sunday after all so whatever you reckon will be fine!

In practice we will stop at Booral for a quick stretch of the legs after 90km. I have recently discovered the "bush skyscraper" on Google Earth after many years of tootling past it wondering what it is, and would like to do a 3km detour up a tar road to have an up close sticky beak at it for a bit of variety! This is the seven story place you see perched on the hill on the left about 5km out of Booral. Then I would think Forster in 80km from Booral will be a stopping point before the final 70km to the Plough Inn at Bulahdelah. So just join in along the way or pick one of the stops as you wish.

Just to put some details in what Crazy Dave is talking about is the below route. My GPS software tells me it is 240km. This is a fairly easy ride with some nice corners thrown in every 30km. We should arrive at the Plough In Bulahdelah comfortably at lunch time. Spend the arvo watching the bikes and we are about an hour from home (down the highway) after Casey's given his last victory speech for Ducati, for this year anyway (he should be back on the job in 2012, until then we have to put up with an Italian doing the job!)

Breakfast isn't normally an issue as most people are happy to get the bike out for a short ride there and back via whatever interesting meandours are chosen, but generally home by 10:30am ish. Sometimes a few get the idea to go somewhere and do. You obviously need to come to more breakfasts!

What do you think of the October ride suggestions? Click on a vote button if no further comment. Obviously if it is raining on the day option 5 gets a guernsey (the blank one, watch this space - the one in the shed 'cause the Duc is staying in it!)

Edit: I edited then un-edited it, nothing changed. Except this drivel was added to the bottom....!

It would be nice to get people's thoughts re what to do next club ride. Obviously we can also discuss it at the upcoming breakfast next weekend but this is the Sunday of a long weekend and that could either make turn-out much higher or much less, we'll see how we go there.... So ideas / discussion are welcome here. The program for the day is below (125's at 1pm, 250's at 2:15pm, Casey's last win for Ducati starts at 4pm). Already we have the fine suggestion below to watch it at the Bulahdelah Plough Inn and I think it's a beauty, just need to sort out the ride details if enough people agree. We will be well into daylight savings by then so making a day of it should be pretty easy! Let me first map out the four basic options:

1) Stuff that, do a shortish morning ride to somewhere like Lostock Dam (9am from BP Bero) and let me watch the GP from the comfort of my lounge chair!

2) OK, I'm in, but let me mow the lawn first. Make it an 11am start from BP Bero and let's go to Bulahdelah via somewhere easy like ClarenceTown (or maybe Dungog) and laze around in the pub for the arvo.

3) What Crazy Dave suggests below is cool by me, let's do the 9am BP Bero thing and we'll get to the pub when we're ready, and I don't care if we miss the 125 lawn mower racing!

4) Look that's all very cute but how about we just leave at midday from Belmont South Shell for a lap of the lake and stop at a cool place I know will have the GP on, it is .........

Edit: OK, as you can see I turned this into a poll. You need to log in to vote, if you can't remember your password email me at vince @ HunterDOG. org. au and I will send you a new one.

Thanks for the recent update. I've been a keen follower of what you guys are up to for quite a while now but as yet haven't had a chance to join you for a ride. I've been a lifelong Ducati fan but as yet not had the bucks to buy one. The 80's Jap bikes are my other obsession and have taken up all of my time and money.

Be that as it may I'm going to take off the motorcyclist 'hat' for a minute and put on another one - that of the town ambassador. I'm the publicity officer for the Bulahdelah Chamber of Commerce. I had a chat with Graham, the licencee of the Bulahdelah Plough Inn, today and would like to invite Hunter DOGs to spend Aussie MotoGP day with us in Bulahdelah.

The GP will be playing on the flat screens in both the main bar and the bistro, the beer will be cold and the atmosphere warm and friendly. We'd be more than happy to have you here for the day and if you didn't want to have lunch in the bistro there are plenty of other places in town where you could get a feed if you wish. The choices are pretty good.

If you guys wanted to make a days ride of it you could come up in the morning, take the Lakes Way to Forster, pop out at Nabiac and then back down Wootton Way for lunch at Bulahdelah. I'd happily meet up with you at Raymond Terrace for such a ride. That is, provided you guys are happy to have a GSX/R 750 'slabby' tag along. I'll try not to show you up. I've done that ride quite a few times and it's still one of my favourites.

Anyway, I'll leave that with you. Myself and everyone in the Bulahdelah Chamber of Commerce would be more than happy to have you here for the day. We're a motorcyclist and traveller friendly town and are keen to show it.